[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 21, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D375-D378]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
USDA'S RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Specialty Crops, Rural 
Development, and Foreign Agriculture held a hearing to review the USDA 
rural development programs and the agency's rural development proposal 
for the 2007 Farm Bill. Testimony was heard from Tom Dorr, Under 
Secretary, Rural Development, USDA; and public witnesses.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, 
Science, and Related Agencies held a hearing on NOAA. Testimony was 
heard from VADM Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Administrator, NOAA, Department 
of Commerce.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on Department of Justice 
Overview. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and 
General Government held a hearing on the Federal Judiciary. Testimony 
was heard from Julia Smith Gibbons, Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of 
Appeals for the Sixth Circuit; and James C. Duff, Director, 
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security held a 
hearing on Enhancing Privacy and Civil Rights While Meeting Homeland 
Security Needs. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Homeland Security: Hugo Teufel III, Chief Privacy 
Officer; and Daniel Sutherland, Office Civil Rights and Liberties; and 
Linda

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Koontz, Director, Information Management Issues, GAO.
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and 
Related Agencies held a hearing on Holocaust Museum/National Gallery of 
Art/Commission on Fine Arts/National Capital Planning Commission/
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Testimony was heard from 
Sara Bloomfield, Director, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum; Earl A. 
Powell III, Director, National Gallery of Arts and Chairman, Commission 
of Fine Arts; and Thomas Luebke, Secretary, Commission on Fine Arts; 
Patricia E. Gallagher, Executive Director, National Capital Planning 
Commission; and John Fowler, Executive Director, Advisory Council on 
Historic Preservation.
LABOR, HHS, EDUCATION AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Public 
Broadcasting. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Corporation for Public Broadcasting: Patricia Harris, President and 
CEO; Cheryl Halpern, Chairman, Board of Directors; and Kenneth A. Konz, 
Inspector General; Ken Stern, CEO, National Public Radio; and Paula 
Kerger, CEP, Public Broadcasting Service.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS' AFFAIRS AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction, 
Veterans' Affairs and Related Agencies continued appropriation 
hearings. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations 
and Related Programs held a hearing on International Affairs Budget. 
Testimony was heard from Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State.
MILITARY COMMANDS BUDGET
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on the Fiscal Year 2008 
National Defense Authorization Budget Request from the U.S. Strategic 
Command, Northern Command, Transportation Command, and Southern 
Command. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Defense: GEN James E. Cartwright, USMC, Commander, U.S. 
Strategic Command; ADM Timothy J. Keating, USN, Command, NORAD and U.S. 
NORTHCOM; GEN Norton A. Schwartz, USAF, Commander, U.S. Transportation 
Command; and ADM James Stavridis, USN, Commander, U.S. Southern 
Command.
DEFENSE COUNTERPROLIFERATION/COUNTERTERRORISM
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional 
Threats and Capabilities held a hearing on Department of Defense 
counterproliferation, counterterrorism, and science and technology 
priorities. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Defense: John Young, Director, Defense Research and 
Engineering; James Tegnelia, Director, Defense Threat Reduction Agency; 
Anthony J. Tether, Director, Defense Advanced Research Project Agency; 
Thomas H. Killion, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Army, Research and 
Technology; RADM William Landay III, USN, Chief of Naval Research; and 
Terry Jaggers, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Air Force, Science, 
Technology and Engineering, Office of the Assistant Secretary, 
Acquisition.
CONCURRENT BUDGET RESOLUTION FISCAL YEAR 2008
Committee on the Budget: Ordered reported, as amended, the Concurrent 
Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2008.
ESEA REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Education and Labor: Held a hearing on ESEA 
Reauthorization: Options for Improving NCLB's Measures of Progress. 
Testimony was heard from Peter McWalters, Commissioner, Department of 
Education, State of Rhode Island; Valerie A. Woodruff, Secretary of 
Education, State of Delaware; and public witnesses.
CLIMATE CHANGE PERSPECTIVES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Air 
Quality and the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment of the Committee 
on Science and Technology held a joint hearing entitled ``Perspectives 
on Climate Change.'' Testimony was heard from former Vice President Al 
Gore, of TN; and a public witness.
SHAREHOLDER VOTE ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION PAY; COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Committee on Financial Services: Began mark of H.R. 1257, Shareholder 
Vote on Executive Compensation Act.
  Will continue tomorrow.
  The Committee also approved pending Committee business.

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DRUG-RESISTANT TUBERCULOSIS THREAT
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health 
held a hearing on the Global Threat of Drug-Resistant TB: A Call to 
Action for World TB Day. Testimony was heard from Representative Engel; 
the following officials of the Department of State: Mark R. Dybul, 
Coordinator, Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator; and Kent R. 
Hill, Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Global Health, U.S. Agency 
for International Development; Julie L. Gerberding, M.D., Director, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and 
Human Services; and public witnesses.
  The Subcommittee also held a briefing on this subject, Testimony was 
heard from Mario Raviglione, M.D., Director, Stop TB Department, Work 
Heath Organization.
U.S.-PAKISTAN POLICY
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Middle East and South 
Asia held a hearing on U.S. Policy Toward Pakistan. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
SECURING LIQUID NATURAL GAS TANKERS
Committee on Homeland Security: Held a hearing entitled ``Securing LNG 
Tankers to Protect the Homeland.'' Testimony was heard from Jim Wells, 
Director, Energy, NRC, Natural Resources and Environment, GAO; RADM 
Brian M. Salerno, USCG, Director, Inspection and Compliance, U.S. Coast 
Guard, Department of Homeland Security; and H. Keith Lesnick, Director, 
Office of Deepwater Post Licensing, Maritime Administration, Department 
of Transportation; J. Mark Robinson, Director, Office of Energy 
Projects, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy; 
and public witnesses.
RADIATION DETECTION TECHNOLOGIES
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, 
Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology held a hearing entitled 
``Countering the Nuclear Threat to the Homeland: Evaluating the 
Deployment of Radiation Detection Technologies.'' Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of the Department of Homeland Security: 
Vayl Oxford, Director, Domestic Nuclear Detection Office; and Jayson 
Ahern, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations, Customs and 
Border Protection.
ISSUANCE OF SUBPOENAS--INVESTIGATION OF RECENT U.S. ATTORNEYS 
TERMINATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law approved a motion authorizing the Chairman of the 
Committee on the Judiciary to issue subpoenas to the following 
individuals to secure testimony pursuant to the Committee's 
investigation concerning the recent termination of U.S. Attorneys and 
related subjects: D. Kyle Sampson; Karl Rove, Harriet Miers; William 
Kelley; and Scott Jennings.
MORTGAGES IN URBAN AMERICA
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Domestic 
Policy held a hearing on Foreclosure, Predatory Mortgage and Payday 
Lending in America's Cities. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 2007
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a vote of 7 to 4, a closed rule. The 
rule provides one hour and twenty minutes of general debate on H.R. 
1433, District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007, with one 
hour equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary and twenty minutes 
equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority 
member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The rule 
waives all points of order against consideration of the bill except 
those arising under clauses 9 or 10 of Rule XXI. The rule provides that 
the amendment printed in the report shall be considered as adopted. The 
rule waives all points of order against the bill, as amended, and 
provides that the bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. 
Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit with or without 
instructions. Testimony was heard from Chairman Conyers, 
Representatives Sensenbrenner, Issa, King of Iowa, Sessions, 
Rohrabacher, Flake, Bishop of Utah, and Price of Georgia.
U.S. TROOPS READINESS, VETERANS' HEALTH AND IRAQ ACCOUNTABILITY ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a vote of 9 to 4, a closed rule. The 
rule provides 4 hours of general debate on H.R. 1591, U.S. Troops 
Readiness, Veterans' Health and Iraq Accountability Act, equally 
divided and controlled by the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member 
ofthe Committee on Appropriations. The rule waives all points of order 
against consideration of the bill except those arising under clauses 9 
or 10 of Rule XXI. The rule provides that the amendment printed in the 
report shall be considered as adopted. The rule waives all points of 
order against the bill, as amended, and provides that the bill, as 
amended, shall be considered as read. Finally, the rule provides one 
motion to recommit with or

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without instructions. Testimony was heard from Chairman Obey, 
Representatives Lynch, Waters, Woolsey, Lee, Watson, Jackson-Lee of 
Texas, Lewis of California, Kirk, Sessions, Hunter, Shays, McHugh, 
Flake, Wilson of South Carolina, Cole of Oklahoma, Gingrey, King of 
Iowa, and Kuhl.
WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES FEDERAL CONTRACTING
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Contracting and Technology 
held a hearing on Federal Government Efforts in Contracting with Women-
Owned Businesses. Testimony was heard from Jovita Carranza, Deputy 
Administrator, SBA; Frank Spampinato, Chief Acquisition Officer, 
Department of Energy; Glenn Perry, Director, Contracts and Acquisitions 
Management, Department of Education; Thomas Luedtke, Assistant 
Administrator, NASA; and public witnesses.
FAA FINANCING PROPOSAL
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held a hearing on the Federal Aviation Administration's 
Financing Proposal. Testimony was heard from Representatives Tiahrt and 
Barrow; from the following officials of the Department of 
Transportation: Daniel K. Elwell, Assistant Administrator, Aviation 
Policy, Planning and Environment, FAA; and Calvin L. Scovel III, 
Inspector General; Gerald Dillingham, Director, Physical Infrastructure 
Issues, GAO; and public witnesses.
KATRINA TAX RELIEF ACT; GENETIC INFORMATION NONDISCRIMINATION ACT
Committee on Ways and Means: Ordered reported, as amended, the 
following bills: H.R. 1562, Katrina Housing Tax Relief Act of 2007; and 
H.R. 493, Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2007.
MEDICARE ADVANTAGE
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
the Medicare Advantage. Testimony was heard from Leslie V. Norwalk, 
Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 
Department of Health and Human Services; Mark Miller, Executive 
Director, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission; and Peter R. Orszag, 
Director, CBO.
BRIEFINGS--HOT SPOTS FBI/CIA
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on Hot Spots. The Committee was briefed by 
departmental witnesses.
  The Committee also met in executive session to receive a briefing on 
FBI/CIA. The Committee was briefed by departmental witnesses.
F